A run for the rosebushes in Greeley, Colorado

Because she really needs it. A few years ago, she bought a house with 27 — count ’em, 27 rosebushes. Here’s a photo of just a few:

Kathy's roses

But Kathy isn’t sure what varieties she’s got. “Most of the roses are, we believe, heirloom variety, she writes. “Why? The thorns are unbelievably wicked — some individual thorns are the size of my thumbnail. The scents are intoxicating — they wash over you as you step out of the front door. I had no idea that roses could smell like cloves and apples and lemons. Colors range from pale white to deep red.”

It’s led to a bit of a madness for her. “I was up to 49 (roses) summer of 2008 but lost around 10 to winter kill in 2008-09. My goal is 50 bushes to justify the name Rose Manor.”

Kathy’s home is a beautiful mock Tudor that the former owner customized in many ways for his beloved, British wife. She’s retained and appreciates many of its features, like the garden, which she has expanded and improved. “The roses have become somewhat of an obsession,” she writes.

And she’s got a question for any of you rose experts out there: “On the most vigorous of bushes, last fall the main stems turned deep purple and have stayed that way — strangely wonderful.”

No winners yet for “The Too Many Tomatoes cookbook” — so keep those photos coming!